Accordion



Feb. 6, 1940. E. N. DEL PRINCIPE 2,189,531

ACCORDION Filed March 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 6, 1940. E. N. DEL-PRINCIPE ACCORDION Filed March 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.6, 1940 I 1 2,189,531

UNITED STATES @ATENT OFFICE AcooamoN Emil N. Del Principe, Chicago,111., assignor to Sears, Roebuck and (30., Chicago, 111., a corporationof New York Application March 19, 1937, Serial No. 131,855.

13 Claims. (Cl..84--3'76) My invention relates to the art of musicaltone mounted. at the head I! of an accordion adjamodulation and moreparticularly to the imcent the keyboard l2 in such manner as to shieldprovement of the quality of sound produced by the reed valves l3 andassociated mechanism. accordions and other instruments. The bo has anEdge which ay be readily S pp An object of the invention resides in theprointo and out of nested or interfitted relation to vision of a soundbox or tone modulator which and held in place bythe rim M of the headand is adapted to be mounted on an instrument y b ack keys of the key fiTo assist in and is so constructed. and arranged that when he s embly,end snide ra k 15 c rri y so mounted it does not increase the overallthe ad e arra d 0 be received Within the dimensions f th m t y ends itof the box, and receive readily releasable 10 Another abject, of tinvention is 13 provide means such as screws ll extending thru saidaccordion with a horn and a control therefor. s d u y hfliding the boxin P It is aiso an object to provide an accordion The x comprises a hoodWhose c il n or r with a sound box which does not detract from p t hasan elongated opening 2| w h s of 15 the appearance of the instrumentwhile subgradually n s n W dt t wa the lower 15 i stantially improvingthe quality of its tone, pitch reeds, when mounted on the instrument. Afurther object involves the provision of a This Op ning is covered y asuperimposed hood tone modulator adapted to subdue harsh vibrant Whifihis preferably of reduced Width and sounds produced by reed instrumentssuch as ht at the wider end of the Op and is v accordions. f gradualiyincreasing dimensions toward and 20 l It is another object of theinvention to probeyond e ow e the pe termi- Vide a readily attachabletone modulator adapted i ng preferably in a bell mouth 23. The upper toreplace the usual ornamental valve shield of hosd d the covemd DOrlliOll0 lower 0 1 an accordion or the like, and readily removable providetogether a tone modulating horn whose 25130 permit i ti throat is formedby the opening 21, the re- 25.

It i a f th bje t of th invention t mainder of the lower hood serving asa resonance vide a tone modulator so constructed as to afor Soundboardford increased deflection for sounds of higher To control W19quantity 0f Vibmnc air enterpitch produced by an acc-ordicn or t 1ingthe horn and provide additional means of 30. A further object is toprovide a tone modulator 955C396 f Sound. the fTOilt W311 25 of the boxhas of ornamental, durable, light and inexpensive a Seriefi Cf i 755 a dy a id havon tru ti ing like passages 28. The slide is guided by Furtherobjects and advantages of the invenstraps Z9 and is actuated andarranged in tion ill appear as th descriptjgn pr0ceeds justed positionsby any suitable control means ferring now to' the accompanyin draw- Suchas a screw knob 3! threaded to a lug 32 on 35 the slide. This means isreadily accessible by Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a tone modulatorthe fingers f the p v y adjusting h sl constructed and mounted on anaccordion in y q es Of b t om the accordance with th in enti 7 strumentmay be diverted from the horn, or all 40 Fig. 2 is a side elevation andtransverse secthe air y be allowed to escape thrll the 40 tional viewtaken as indicated bythe line 2-2 horn. thereby rendering t box flexiblen p in Fig. 1. ation and affording a variety of tonal efiects Fig. 3 isan isometric view of the tone mod- While at the same time effectivelymodulating ulator. and subduing rasping and other sounds produced Fig. 4is a longitudinal sectional view taken y the m nt- 45 as indicated bythe line 4--4 in Fig. 3. The box may be constructed of light, preferablyFig. 5 is a back view f the m d l t seen stiff acoustically efiicientmaterial capable of in Fig. 4. resonating without undesirable overtonesthru- Fig. 6 is'an enlarged fragmentary sectional out the entire pitchrange or the instrument. View taken as indicated by the line 6-5 in Fig.3. p v tonal q y is n l y p 50 Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional viewtaken vided by virtue of the arrangement whereby the as indicated by theline 71 in Fig. 6. more rasping notes, which are of the higher Referringnow more particularly to the draws. are subjected to correspondinglygreater ings, a tone modulator or sound box embodying deflection so thatthe rasping qualities are the invention is indicated generally at l0subdued. 55

It will be observed that the box is so dimensioned as to lie well withinthe overall dimen- I am aware that many changes may be made and numerousdetails of construction may be;

varied thru a wide range without departing from the principles of thisinvention, and it is not intended that the terminology employed hereinbe restrictive or. confining, and I therefore do not purpose limitingthe patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the priorart.

Iv claim:

1. An accordion comprising a valve head,'a

shield secured over said head and comprising a sound box having anopening of gradually decreasing width and a horn-like hood ofcorrespondingly increasing width over said opening.

2. An accordion comprising a valve head, a

shield secured over said head and. comprising a sound box having anopening of gradually decreasing. width from the lower to the higherpitched reeds, and a horn-like hood of correspondingly increasing widthover said opening.

3. An accordion or the like comprising a valve head, and tone modulatingmeans mounted over said head and providing increased deflection of soundwaves from the lower to the higher pitched Q reeds, and a horn-like hoodmounted over said means.

4. An instrument of the accordion type having a valve head, a sound boxmounted on said head and having a horn and also having a substantiallyunobstructed tone passage arranged to divert vibrant air from said headaway from said horn.

5. An accordion or the like comprising a' valve head, a sound boxmounted over said head and having a horn, and means for varying thevolume of sound emitted from said horn.

6. An accordion or the like comprising, a valve head, a sound box oversaid head and provided with a substantially unobstructed horn and withtone passages arranged in a series longitudinally of said head, a slidecarried by said box and having a similar series of passages arranged tovary the effective size of the first series, and means for adjustingsaid slide.

. head, a sound box over any desired adjustment.

7. An accordion or the like comprising a valve head, a sound box oversaid head and provided with substantially unobstructed tone passagesarranged in a series longitudinally of said head, means for varying theeffective size of said series, and a horn substantially coextensivewith'said series.

8. An accordion or the like comprising a valve said head and having awall substantially coextensive with said head and an elongated openingin said wall, an elongated hood over and extending well beyond saidopening, said hood having an opening spaced from the first mentionedopening and said hood being of gradually increased size toward itsopening, said wall extending inward from the sides of said hood andcooperating with said hood to form a. horn.

9. An accordion or the like having a valve head, and a horn mounted oversaid head and disposed substantially within the overall length and widthof said head, and means for varying the volume of sound emitted fromsaid horn.

10. A tone modulator for an accordion or like instrument, said modulatorcomprising a cover adapted to be-positioned over the tone produc ingmechanism of the instrument, a cover mounted over the first cover andalmost entirely sealed thereto, leaving an opening therebetween, saidfirst cover thereby forming a bottom wall for the second cover, saidwall and second cover together being shaped to form a horn and said wallhaving an opening forming the'throat of the horn.

11. A tone modulator for an accordion or like instrument, said modulatorcomprising a cover for the tone producing mechanism of the instrument, acover over the firstcover and almost completely joined there-to, leavingan opening therebetween, the first cover thereby providing a bottom'wallfor the second cover, said wall and second cover together being shapedto constitute a horn, said wall having an opening forming the throat of.the horn, and means for controlling the sound issuing from the horn.

12. An accordion or the like having a piano keyboard and a valve head,and a tone modu-' lator having a horn and directly interfitted with saidhead, leaving substantially the entire lengths of the black keysaccessible to the fingers without cramping. i

13. An accordion or the like comprising a'valve head, a sound box'mountedover said head and having a horn, adjustable means for varyingthe volume of sound emitted from said horn, and means for maintainingthe adjustable means in 'EMIL N. DEL PRINCIPE.

' that the same may conform to the record 0 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,189,551. February 6, 191m.

EMIL N. DEL PRINCIPE It is hereby certified that error appears in theprinted s 5 follows: Page 2, first pecification of the above numberedpatent requiring correction a claim 6, for the words "with asubstantially unobstructed column, line. 5h

d with substantially unobstructed; and

horn and with" read with a horn an that the said Letters Patent shouldbe rea f the case in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 16th dayof April, A. D. l9l O.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents d with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record 0 CERTIFICATEOF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,189,551. February 6, 19m.

EMIL N. DEL PRINCIPE It is hereb'5 certified that error appears in theprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows: Page 2, first column, line. 5h,

I horn and with" read with a horn and with substantially unobstructed;and

read with this correction therein that the said Letters Patent should bei the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April, A. D. l9LLO.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner Of Patents claim 6, for thewords "with a substantially unobstructed v

